Vol. 84, Issue 6 of the Globe Newsmagazine

83.1

GL BE February, Vol. 84 Issue 6

CRUNCHING THE

NUMBERS

“ w I t

L S

UPFRONT

FEATURES

A t m s n n

“ t i w m

J C

REVIEW

COMMENTARY

“ h t j m t

“ t t m t w t

D C

COVER

SPORTS

S t i d

“I’m just proud that I made it there with my friends and I’m proud that I’ve been able to fully commit myself to swimming.”

Lydia Welty Swimmer A teenage girl, too embarrassed to be named, miscarried at five months. She didn’t even know that she was pregnant because she was never told the symptoms of pregnancy.

“But within the first few minutes of the first day at Camp Independence, it was clear to me that my time there would be rewarding and only change my personality for the better.”

Jeffrey Friedman CHS Sophomore “Zero Dark Thirty,” a riveting and humanized depiction of the mission to capture Osama bin Laden, is not just a great movie; it is one of the most significant films of our generation.

“And while we must reduce expenditures and make permanent changes to our staffing and programs, we must do it with the goals assuring that we align our resources with what matters most. And what matters most is our kids.”

Dr. Sharmon Wilkinson Clayton District Superintendent Some girls use “pranks” to ask their dates to Peppers. Pranks may involve fake-outs such as a mock detention slip or parking ticket.

COMMENTARY Lessons from Disabilities.................40-41 Kaldi’s vs. Starbucks..........................42-43 Newsweek Goes Online...................44 Staff Ed...............................................45 Q&A What is Love?..........................46

COVER Crunching the Numbers.................24-29

UPFRONT Editor’s Letter....................................5 Panorama..........................................6-7 Peppers..............................................8 GNN Goes to Channel 5.................9 Close Up Trip...................................10 Emancipation Proclamation..........11

FEATURES Thoroughly Modern Millie.............12-13 Organic Farming in St. Louis.........14-15 Teen Entrepreneurs.........................16-17 Sex Ed................................................18-19 Loop Trolly........................................20-21 Girl Scout Cookies...........................22-23

SPORTS Spring Sports Preview......................30-31 Lydia Welty........................................32-33 Athlete Profile...................................34 Walker Signs.....................................34 Boys Golf...........................................35

REVIEW Zero Dark Thirty...............................36 Ed Sheeran Concert..........................37 Coffee House.....................................38 Haunted House.................................38

get creative.

T H E

G L O B E

C A P T I O N

C O N T E S T

LAST MONTH’S WINNER “It really bugs me when I chip a nail...”

- Johan Gehrand

SUBMIT YOUR AMUSING CAPTION AT CHSGLOBE.COM Editors in Chief Meredith McMahon Katherine Ren

Photo Editors: Olivia MacDougal William Wysession

Senior Managing Editors Eudora Olsen Parker Schultz Shiori Tomatsu Aishwarya Yadama

Editors: David Androphy Peter Baugh Abraham Bluestone Rachel Bluestone Chris Cho Neil Docherty Emma Ehll-Welply Jeffrey Friedman Jessica Jancose Nina Murov Peter Shumway Christopher Sleckman

Webmaster: Dan Zeng Senior Web Editor: Addison Leong Graphics Editor: Audrey Palmer

Business Managers: David Behrend Ben Diamond Richard Simon Distribution Editor: Steven Zou Web Editors: Varun Chakravarthy Peter Shumway Reporters: Sophie Allen Zach Bayly Bridget Boeger Gabby Boeger Jeffrey Cheng

Gwyneth Henke Sierra Hieronymus Audrey Holds Joseph Katz JiHyun Kim Claire Lisker Rebecca Polinsky Peter Schmidt Richard Simon Daniele Skor Rebecca Stiffelman Albert Wang Phoebe Yao Eunnuri Yi Photographers: Patrick Butler Sierra Carrel

Noah Engel Seth Lewis Megan McCormick Hanna Park Regine Rosas Margaret Schedl Alexis Schwartz Dana Schwartz Alessandra Silva Rebecca Stiffelman Graphic Artists: Christina DiFelice Matt De La Paz Rachel Han Cherry Tomatsu Victoria Yi

The Globe Newsmagazine exists to inform, entertain, persuade, and represent the student voice at CHS. All content decisions are made by the student editorial staff, and the Globe is an entirely self-funded publication. Not every story that our reporters write is published in the print newsmagazine. Visit www.chsglobe.com for additional stories and photos, and for more information about the Globe itself. For more information about advertising and subscriptions, please contact our office: Clayton High School Globe 1 Mark Twain Circle Clayton, MO 63105 (314) 854-6668 Fax: 854-6734 globe@claytonschools.net

EDITOR’S LETTER

TIME TO LISTEN The trick to playing well in an orchestra is listening. Not impeccable intonation, and not immaculate rhythm. When you listen, you can hear the rich purple sound of the cellos; you hear flutes, with their flourishes and trills, and the violins with the sweet and silky melody.

And then everything comes together. Like a puzzle, somehow the complex hemiolas and dotted rhythms fall into place in a harmonious explosion of sound. The individual musicians become an orchestra. However,all of this can be lost in an instant. All it takes is one disconnect. One musician who refuses to listen to the rest. Stated simply, the Clayton School District is like a well-functioning orchestra. There are many voices that need to be heard. All we need to do is stop and listen.

In an orchestra, there is a defined core purpose: to make music. So what are the core values of CHS? More importantly, how do we preserve them in light of the recent budget cuts?

The good news is that this great institution has equipped us not only with academic prowess,

but also with passion. Passion that, in times like these, helps us define what our core values are, and how to protect them.

The School District of Clayton is determined to “model and promote” excellence, trust, inclusiveness, innovation and accountability. These budget cuts have people scrutinizing this last core value. The Board says that we must “align our actions and resources with our stated objective, and take responsibility for the outcomes.”

The goal of the Board of Education is to ensure that the outcome of the budget cuts does not compromise our core values. The same core values that are called into question with the elimination of many beloved staff members. Through all of this, I have seen the student body rising to protect what is important to them.

Many students have taken the initiative to vocalize what they believe to be the most important aspects of Clayton. I believe that this is a direct result of the passion that our time at

CHS has instilled in us.

Yet, there is always room for more. We need to realize that we are accountable for our contributions as well as lack thereof to these budget cut decisions.

Frankly put, the Clayton School District is going through major changes.

From the drama guild to the football team, every last person in the District has a responsibility. In the end, we come together to make Clayton the unique education solace that our District so cherishes. Much like musicians in an orchestra, we have a purpose. Students of CHS, Board members, teachers and parents what the District needs now more than ever is for you to stop and listen. 

AISHWARYA YADAMA Sr. Managing Editor

Photo by Rachel Bluestone

5

PANORAMA Jan. 30, 2013

Millie Madness From Jan. 31 through Feb. 3, the cast of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” lit up the stage at CHS with fringe, sequins and flappers. Directed by Kelley Weber and starring senior Emily Gudmestad as Millie, the musical boasted high-energy tap numbers and amazing vocals. “Thoroughly Modern Millie” follows the story of a small-town girl moving to the Big Apple. Naturally, chaos ensues. As Millie reinvents herself and finds love, she meets some strange characters (including a fake Chinese slavetrader, Mrs. Meers), adopts the iconic “bob” and falaps her way through the city.

PHOTO BY ALESSANDRA SILVA

7

PEPPER SPRAY

by CLAIRE LISKER

2013 Pepper’s King nominees pose for a photo. (Courtesy of Stephanie Manny)

A

typical chick flick portrays high school dances as nights where moms help their daughters get ready by their bedroom mirror for hours. The boy presents flowers at the front door before he awkwardly meets the girl’s parents, then walks her to his car. At the dance, the girls sip punch as they nervously hope that a guy will ask them to slow dance and, if they are lucky, give them their first kiss. Although this description may somewhat resonate with the high school memories of Clayton parents and teachers, times have surely changed for the students.

But some status quo changes began before our parents’ time as well. Our generation is not the first to flip the roles of guy and girl. The Sa-

die Hawkins dance, in which the girls traditionally invite the guys, was introduced in 1937 in Al Capp’s comic strip “Li’l Abner.” Some could say this strip inspired the feminist movement.

No one can deny that this provided an excuse for girls to select their date to treat to dinner and to ask to dance.

With any new role comes new pressures. But today, those pressures are not like the movies.

“The guy doesn’t ring the doorbell and meet your parents, and there isn’t a limo to pick up the two of you,” senior Lily Siwak said.

At CHS, the most time and effort is put into planning how to ask one’s date.

“Guys are pretty creative sometimes,” Siwak said. Often, however, they find a girl’s help use-

THE POLL The Globe found out how Clayton boys want to be asked to the CHS Peppers Prom.

ful. Siwak helped a guy prank and ask her friend around homecoming time, by writing “HC?” on sticky notes that he would cover her car with.

Teachers also assist with “scholastic” invitations through test questions or PowerPoint lessons.

By creating a mock detention slip or parking ticket, girls get a laugh out of fake-outs as well.

Other asking methods also involve putting the guy on the spot. Almost every year, someone hangs a huge banner on the commons or makes a personalized announcement on the speaker or GNN daily news. According to junior Richard Hollocher, there is no stage fright involved there.

“Guys like it when girls do something that’s embarrassing for both,” he said. “Like walking into class wearing a pepper costume.”

3%

14% Prize

Public

11%

14% Insider

13%

Fake-Out

19%

6%

16%

Scholastic

Traditional

Interactive

Creative

4%

Romantic

UPFRONT

GNN GOES LIVE T

by NINA MUROV

Many guys are enticed by a scavenger hunt or another interactive method, and most are happy to receive something edible. Hollocher also admitted what the anonymous surveys elucidated; that is, that guys like when girls do something romantic.

Of course, this may depend on the relationship of the pair. Freshman Luca D’Agrosa thinks that the timing of Peppers around Valentine’s Day may be significant. “It makes it more romantic”, he said. “And there are more opportunities to be creative.”

However, not all dates have to be romantic. “To have a date for Peppers is to have someone to share the night with, whether it’s romantic or just as friends,” Hollocher said.

In other cases, “your date is who you stand next to in pictures,” Siwak said. Date or no date, most people go to the dances with a group of friends. Some students who go single can mingle with many friends, and others may meet their future date on the dance floor.

According to Siwak, the girls stress more about finding a dress on time than inviting a guy who is already taken. Others keep it a secret, for the element of surprise. For them, there may be more pressure, since their date may be already taken. Regardless, Hollocher believes that girls and guys feel equally nervous and excited around Peppers and Homecoming, respectively.

So every time February rolls around and the CHS girls begin to whisper about a certain vegetable, you can be sure of one thing - this is no typical chick flick. 

he 2nd and 7th hour Video Production classes didn’t have a typical Wednesday on Jan. 30 when both classes took a field trip to KSDK News Channel Five, St. Louis.

The trip hosted a number of highlights, and the crew was given a tour that, since Sept. 11, 2001, not many have been granted. The cast and crew of GNN and GET were able to look at the main set, all of the equipment (such as microphones and cameras), sound booths, queue booths and all of the editors’ programs that produce and edit the show.

Junior Marcel Negrete enjoyed the trip. “It was a great opportunity, and a fun way to see what goes on behind the scenes,” he said.

Students also got to see something very special. The classes were in the studio during the live, noon news cast.

They stood on the side of the set as anchors Ryan and Dana Dean reported the news and meteorologist Mike Roberts worked the green screen to report the weather.

Lastly, the Greyhound news team was able to sit in the back room, where the sound and queue booths are hosted. There, reporters out in the field were notified that they were on air, the sound booth fixed mics and tested anchors on the set to hear how they sounded.

The room featured a myriad of computer

monitors queuing up what was to come, and the technicians had to act efficiently and quickly to make sure the production went on without a hitch.

In another highlight of the trip, students were able to speak with the Executive Producer Ava Ehrlich and anchor Kay Quinn, who has worked with Channel Five for almost 25 years.

The crew and teachers were able to ask questions and get advice on topics from how to get into the field, to how the show operates. They learned about the history of the network, how rating periods work, and why it is important to be honest, non-biased, and get the news out first.

Students ended the day by speaking to anchor, Ryan Dean, about his experience getting into the business. But before the crew left, they had one more surprise; they were allowed to sit at the anchor desk to take a class photo.

Overall, the trip was a success. “I loved it,” junior Izzy Greenblatt said. “Going to an actual news studio made what we are doing for GET and GNN a reality instead of just a class.”

The Greyhound News Network plans to bring their behind the scenes experience back to CHS and implement their new knowledge to their current productions - GNN during 3rd hour and GET every other Friday. Keep on watching, CHS. 

Greyhound News Network visits the set of KSDK News Channel Five. (Christine Sticker)

9



Photographed by Scott Andrews at the

GETTING UP CLOSE

by JESSICA JANCOSE

A

bout 700,000. That’s how many people flooded the Washington Mall for Barack Obama’s second presidential inauguration. Of those, six people

were from CHS. The chaperone for the Close Up trip, CHS history teacher David Aiello, has been to every inauguration since Clinton’s first in January 1993.

These regular trips to D.C. and to the presidential inaugurations started 25 years ago when Clayton became a part of the Close Up program.

The program gives students from schools all over the country a chance to visit Washington D.C. and to learn about the significance of our nation’s capitol.

This year, over 2000 students were transported to D.C. to watch the inauguration. Over the years, the Close Up program has given over 750,000 students the chance to visit the capitol.

Senior Dana Schwartz, an attendee of the trip, said the trip was an inspiration to become more involved in the issues facing the country.

“Close Up’s goal for the students in the program was to increase their political efficacy,” she

said. “From the trip, I was motivated to become more aware of the top political issues being debated in Washington.”

Junior Sarah Aiello agreed that the political aspect of the trip was memorable.

“It was really exciting that you’re that close to all of these important people that make decisions about your lives,” Aiello said.

However, the main event of the trip was undoubtedly the inauguration. “[The] inauguration was incredible. Being there with hundreds of thousands of people was unlike anything else,” junior Michelle Buse said.

The CHS Close Up group staked out their positions early and then waited in the cold for about two hours for the inauguration to begin.

Sarah Aiello said the wintry temperatures did not detract from this remarkable experience. “There were so many people and it was cold and it was early … but nobody really complained about how cold and early it was.”

Regardless of the political opinions of those present at the inauguration, it is difficult to resist the sense of unity and pride in one’s country pervasive throughout D.C. on the day of the inauguration.

Despite this sense of unity, there were, of

course, still enough differing opinions in Washington to give Clayton students a more comprehensive understanding of those from different parts of the country with different political beliefs.

“In Clayton, a lot of people share the same views about many things and [the people on the trip] would have discussions and other people would have totally different opinions than me so you kind of just learn how to debate peacefully with people,” Sarah Aiello said.

According to David Aiello, students had a chance to meet with a variety of students.

“Kids from our school are in a hotel with about 175-200 other students from places around the country – San Francisco, Alaska, Florida, Utah – all over,” he said.

The kids are then broken up into groups of 15-20 people that consist of people from every corner of America.

CHS history teacher Josh Meyers, who has attended the trip in the past, said that this is one of the most eye-opening aspects of the entire program.

“Clayton is a very liberal, affluent community and when students from Clayton get to meet, know, and understand students from ru-

UPFRONT

CELEBRATING EQUALITY The CHS history department hosts a successful event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

O

ws at the US NEWS INAUGURATION. (MCT Campus) ral Texas and Louisiana, from Northern California and Minnesota, it breaks that Clayton bubble,” Meyers said.

In addition to attending the inauguration, students on the trip went with their groups to visit nearly every museum and major monument in Washington D.C. “We did the Air and Space Museum and the Newseum,” Sarah Aiello said. “We also saw a piece of the Berlin Wall and a piece of the World Trade Center. We did all of the monuments – the Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Vietnam War and Korean War Memorial – there was so much to do. We also did the Natural History Museum, the American Indian Museum and the Holocaust Museum.”

Students were also given an opportunity to talk to one of President Obama and Michelle Obama’s speechwriters.

“What I find with kids almost every year is that when people ask them what their favorite part of the trip was, there were so many things that were really interesting and really informative that it’s almost impossible for them to choose,” David Aiello said.

Given its success, the Close Up program is one that is likely to continue at CHS for many years to come, because, according to Meyers, it shapes Clayton students for the better in that “our students come back more well-rounded, more understanding, and quite frankly, more appreciative than when they left.” 

by JULIE KIM

n Jan. 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the history department at CHS hosted a discussion about the Emancipation Proclamation.

The main topic of this discussion was the Emancipation Proclamation, an important part of American history.

“January 1, 2013 was the sesquicentennial, or 150 year anniversary, of the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, and that seemed like an important historical event to recognize,” history teacher Rick Kordenbrock said.

The idea for the day had been discussed since the last school year.

“At the end of school last year, the social studies teachers went to lunch together, and the idea came out of our discussion that day,” Kordenbrock said. “We wanted to do something to promote the appreciation and study of history.”

Although it was not something that students were required to go to, an estimated

number of 200 people came. Of these estimated 200 people, there weren’t just students from CHS, but also students from other schools, teachers and even some local residents.

“I believe the event was successful, and some evidence of that was that throughout the entire three hours, there was never a time that I felt embarrassed by the size of the crowd,” Kordenbrock said. “Clayton students really came through and I am appreciative of that.”

Because of the success of this event, students may be able to look forward to it happening again next year.

“It has been suggested to me by a couple of students that this could start a tradition of CHS hosting some kind of MLK Day event,” Kordenbrock said. “Maybe even the same kind of event but with a different topic relating to African American history as a tribute to Dr. King. I have not yet seriously discussed it with my colleagues or Dr. Gutchewsky, but I plan to.” 

Panel of speakers at Emancipation Proclimation Day. (Photo courtesy of Paul Hoelscher)

11

A THOROUGHLY SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCE

by AISHWARYA YADAMA

T

he stage goes dark. The audience is off as Jimmy Smith, the male lead. Both por- forming entire numbers completely in Chinese.

Stern and Love played the roles with hilarity, silent in anticipation. Suddenly, mu- trayals were impressive, as well as very differsic starts playing and the stage comes ent. Diamond took on the suave male hero, always keeping the audience clapping.

James Kerr, who played Millie Dillto life. A lively girl bounces onto the stage and immediately captures the mount’s boss, was another excellent performer. The most impressive aspect audience with her stellar vocals and of Kerr’s performance was that he made infectious energy. an otherwise dull character come to life Emily Gudmestad, who played “Gudmestad not only rose to the leading role of Millie Dillmount, with a quirkiness that was extremely wowed the audience with her quirky humorous. the challenge, but she exceeded Miss Dorothy, Millie Dillmount’s and energetic portrayal of this characit with her strong and consisbest friend, was played by Claire Lisker. ter. From her hilarious facial expresLisker amazed the crowd with her sions to her impeccable dancing, Gudtent vocals.” strong and operatic vocals. mestad’s “star quality” really shined.

“Thoroughly Modern Millie” is Caroline Kidwell and Shaina Crall were double casted as the villain of centered around the main character, the show, Mrs. Meers. Both Crall and leaving Gudmestad with the daunting task of taking on lead vocals in almost half of while Argyres played the part as the sweet, nice- Kidwell played their parts well. Each displayed the total musical numbers in the production. guy that the audience loves to love. Both were strong vocals and great comedy.

Overall, the most impressive thing about Gudmestad not only rose to this challenge, but phenomenal vocally. she exceeded it with her strong and consistent The show also hosted an impressive set of this show was the consistent talent of the cast. supporting roles. Sam Stern and Robbie Love Up next for the Clayton theatre department is vocals.

Ben Diamond and Aaron Argyres switched played the part of the two Chinese men, per- the Student Run Musical, “13.” 

FEATURES

Left page, the cast finishes a number on a high note.

Right page, clockwise from top left, Emily Gudmestad as Millie, James Kerr takes a knee, Sam Stern and Robbie Love strike a pose, Lauren Williams performs a number, a gang of performers led

by Peter Schmidt hit the stage and Claire Lisker performs her role (Alessandra Silva).

Photos by Gwyne Henke, William Wysession, and Rebecca Stiffel-

FEATURES

GROWING INNOVATION Students at Washington University explore organic farming in their free time and find their work both educational and rewarding

S

by GWYNE HENKE

“We have a couple pillars which are to educate ourselves about growprouts of onions are just beginning to peek out of the frozen ground. Decaying leaves are piled across the plot of ing food, to educate others about growing food and the food system and soil, warming the plants in the months of freezing winter to get really engaged in the community and with all of the urban gardens weather. A few feet away, carrots grow underneath a white in St. Louis,” Mohr explained.

These lessons are apparent not only within the walls of the Burning fabric sheath - a greenhouse of sorts. The rest of the plots are empty, but the compost bins are full of eggshells, pepper Kumquat, but within the classrooms of Washington University and colstems, banana peels and dozens of other odds and ends that leges across the country.

“This semester I’m taking Soil Science and a class called Brave New are slowly decaying into rich soil.

Standing inside the brick walls that surround this quarter-acre farm, Crops, which is about bio-technology, genetic manipulation of crops and you can hear the hum of traffic and the bustle of daily life: shouts, car investigating the implications of that and its effect on economics,” Mohr horns, bicycle bells. Instead of sprawling across the isolated countryside, said. this farm stands on a street directly off of Forsyth Boulevard. DormiDiscussions like the ones in Mohr’s class are part of an ever-increasing tories, the Edison Theatre, Washington University’s Francis Gymnasium wave of organic and urban farming that is sweeping the nation.

According to ers.usda.com, the prices of fertilizers have been increasand the Danforth University Center are its neighbors. ing dramatically over the past ten years. Ammonium nitrate, for examThis is the Burning Kumquat.

Founded in 2007 by Washington University students, the Burning ple, went from $194 per ton in 2000 to $506 per ton in 2012.

Kumquat is an almost entirely student-run urban farm.

Organic farmers who don’t use fertilizers avoid these costs and the Participants in the Kumquat can not only look forward to a valuable health concerns that come with them. This economic benefit has helped organic farming become more fiscally chance for connection with their peers, but an opportunity to get involved in achievable within the last few years.

“I decided that no matter what, The often detrimental effects of fertiltheir community. For students who are izers on a farm’s environment can also be new to St. Louis, this can be especially I’m going to have a garden for rewarding. eliminated when farmers choose to grow the rest of my life.” crops without chemicals.

“We sell [the produce] at the Old Ground runoff can carry fertilizers North Farmer’s market in the summer, and we also sell it to Bon Appetit if we get into natural waterways such as rivers and Libby Mahr lakes as well as wells and reservoirs. Not it in large volumes ... We also sell it in the Sophomore at Washington University only can the chemicals hurt people who courtyard [in Washington University] to drink the infected water, but nitrogen the students or whoever walks by, and then we take some of it home ourselves,” fertilizers can cause algae blooms in bodLibby Mohr, a sophomore at Washington University and the community ies of water, which often destroy marine life.

The Burning Kumquat accepts the pests that come with not using and education director for the Burning Kumquat, said.

While the Kumquat requires a lot of hard work to maintain, the farm chemicals in order to run an all-natural farm.

“We don’t use any pesticides, herbicides or insecticides … It’s just management makes it easy for people to balance farmwork and schoolwork. about respecting the Earth and what’s there,” Mohr said.

“The Kumquat is really cool because you can be very involved or not While this requires a lot of hard work from the Kumquat’s volunteer very involved ... There are probably 15 people involved in … the governing staff, it almost always results in a life-changing experience for its membody, and then there are other various people that work in the garden,” bers.

Furthermore, the effect of having a green space on campus for stuMohr said.

In the often overwhelming world of college, a quiet place to go and dents to retreat from classes and stress is immeasurably valuable, espefarm can be lifesaving for some students. cially to freshmen during their first year away from home.

“It’s just a good way to get away from everything. We usually have After working in the Burning Kumquat for two years and another workdays on the weekends, so I’ll be stressed with my work, and I can farm over the summer, Mohr realized that farming will always be a part go to the garden and get dirty, pull weeds. Seeing everything get bigger of her life. “I decided that no matter what, I’m going to have a garden for the rest of my life. It’s going to be something that carries through my life every week is really cool, too,” Mohr continued.

Kumquat members also work to promote change with their farm and ... even if I’m living in an apartment and I just have a couple of tomato urban or organic farms in the St. Louis area. plants on my balcony.” 

15

TEEN ENTREPRENEURS

by EMMA EHLL

Have you ever wanted to start your own business or had an idea that you wanted to share with the world? Some may think that teenagers are too young to build their own companies, but each year more and more people under the age of 20 prove that wrong by creating a business all on their own.

A

t CHS, some students’ first steps toward entrepreneurship is participating in the marketing organization, DECA. “DECA teaches students how to write a business plan, look for financing, make connections, establish mentorships, etc,” DECA sponsor Marci Boland said. “DECA makes becoming an entrepreneur an achievable task instead of just an overwhelming dream.”

In other parts of the country, some teens have completely skipped this step and launched their buisinesses with little knowledge and even less experience.

Through the work of the Clayton DECA program, Lachlan Johnson came to St. Louis to speak to students about becoming an entrepreneur with the help of the organization Indpendent Youth.

Johnson created Flipoutz, a bracelet company with interchangeable coins complete with empowering phrases that kids could exchange amongst their friends to share positive self expression. When she began this company along with her brother and sister in their home town of Charlotte, NC, all they had was an idea and a passion for what that image could evolve into.

This passion was what carried them through the long process of production and what made the end result worth waiting for.

“We played with the idea of Flipoutz for several years before we were able to reach the point of actually selling bracelets and coins,” Johnson said. “The process was tedious to say the least, but has definitely been worth it in the end.”

However, after their business began to grow and expand they realized that they needed additional help to run their company.

“We found out quickly just how big of a proj-

ect it was, as when we were featured on ABC’s Shark Tank we were still filling Flipoutz orders from our basement,” Johnson said. “As soon as the show aired, we realized that it was physically impossible for a family of five to fill the amount of orders rolling in, so after partnering with Shark Daymond John, we partnered with a toy company called Wild Creations who took over the manufacturing and shipping.”

As they have grown up, they have learned how to cope with being part time businessmen/ women and full time students.

“Flipoutz has definitely changed my life for the better! Though it is stressful to juggle school and owning a company, I’ve found that I am able to get everything done if I set aside specific time for both,” Johnson said. “I try not to worry about school while traveling for business, and try not to worry about business during school.”

Lachlan’s passion and dedication has carried her to the place she is today.

This is also the case with Jordan Williams, the co-founder of Making Money for Teens. Jordan and his partner Brandon Iverson are the authors of two books and several audio CDs all for educating teens on how to become financially responsible at a young age.

After the Atlanta natives realized how little they and their friends knew about finances they became committed to educating their peers and teens across the country. They began by learning the system themselves and then they decided to pass the info on to others.

When approaching the daunting task of writing their own book they found that staying organized and determined was the only way to stick with it. “We made and published our products on our own. It took a lot of commitment and hard work to finish our products,” Williams said. “During the whole process we stayed focused on our tasks by setting goals for what we wanted to achieve through our products.”

As for handling all that is going on in their lives they believe that communication and planning is key. They agree with Lachlan and say that finding something that you are passionate about is the best way to stay devoted.

These are just two of the many teens entrepreneurs associated with Independent Youth, an organization that helps teens transition from an idea to a company. Tanya Hamilton, president of Independent Youth (and CHS graduate), was a teen entrepreneur herself.

“My twin sister and I had a babysitting service starting our sophomore year of high school. We loved it,” Hamilton said. “It was my first real taste of entrepreneurship. This really made me understand the power of entrepreneurship and made me question why anyone would strive to be anything other than an entrepreneur.”

She believes that many teen entrepreneurs just stumble into it while doing something they love. While she agrees that starting your own business is a lot of work for anyone she believes that doing it as a teen is the best time.

“I highly encourage any teen that has any slight interest in becoming an entrepreneur to dabble in it now. As a teenager there is a lot less risk involved,” Hamilton said.

Every journey has ups and downs and Hamiliton believes that all it takes to stick with it during the downs is a little bit of hope. “To stick with it you have to believe in yourself and your business. Even when nobody else does. Being an entrepreneur is not easy. Stay focused and work hard and it should pay off.”

In the end, Williams had the best bit of advice for burgeoning entrepreneurs, “We would advise young entrepreneurs to build a business that is based on their dreams. Like the quote says, ‘Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”’ 

Jordan Williams and Brandon Iverson (Right and Bottom). Lachlan Johnson (top right). Photos courtesy of Lachlan Johnson, Jordan Williams and Brandon Iverson.

SEX

(ED)

Remember the day you had “The Talk?” Yeah the awkward /no-more-stork-nonsense/ news flash? As much as you shiver at the memory, consider yourself lucky. . . you’re about to find out why.

BY ZACH BAYLY

FEATURES

In northern Nigeria, a Hausa song entitled “Fitsari ‘Dan Duniya” echoes around a circle of women. Dr. Lewis Wall, a gynecologist and Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology at Washington University, loosely translated this as “Urine, The Oppressor of the World.” The women sing to ease the pain of being deemed venereal disease carriers because they cannot control the trickle of urine. In reality, they suffer from vesicovaginal fistulas, a disorder resulting from obstructed labor; but in their culture, abnormal or restricted childbirth is punishment for sin and infidelity.

The Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs concludes that these women are among about 800,000 Nigerian women suffering from vesicovaginal fistualas. They are among a much larger population of oppressed and suffering women that have not been educated about sexual and reproductive health.

Indian schoolgirls Khushi and Ankita expressed fear to “New York Times” writer Rose George that they were dying of cancer when they began menstruating. Their mothers told them that they were normal women now; however, they also told them not to touch food or religious idols because they would pollute and defile them.

Nadene Ghouri of BBC News visited the largest maternity ward in Kabul, Afghanistan, where ignorance prevailed. A teenage girl, too embarrassed to be named, miscarried at five months. She didn’t even know she was pregnant because she was never told the symptoms of pregnancy.

This ignorance is not uncommon. Earlier this year, Chinese adults were interviewed by Newsweek about when they first learned about sex, and after much nervous giggling, one woman admitted she grew up thinking she came from her mother’s armpit.

Although harmless jokes are told to children about their origin all over the world, they begin to pose a serious threat to society when parents object to any formal sex education in schools and governments fail to implement a national sex education policy.

Li Zou, an employee of the Department of Social Work at Washington University, attended elementary and middle school in China and was also told myths about childbirth. “My parents told me that they found me out by the trashcans, but I saw the trashcans everyday and there were no babies. We didn’t know anything from formal education, but we were smart self-learners.”

Zou emphasized understanding the cultural sensitivity to the subject, and some of the consequences that ensue. “People just don’t talk about it. You’re considered a little crazy if you talk about sex, sex, sex. But there are always going to be those brave girls who want to experiment. The problem is, they want to be active, but they don’t want to have babies.”

A recent study by Tsinghua University in Beijing shows that 71 percent of young people in China are sexually active before marriage. Although these young people have no formal education, and only 12 percent of 1,000 Chinese women between the ages of 25 and 30 fully understand contraception according to a survey by “Newsweek,” they are still adolescents persuaded by hormones.

“I used to swim with two girls, one a year older than me and the other a few months younger. They had both already undergone two abortions each, and one of the girls would suffer from fevers and physical pains. It

was very hard to see her go through the process,” reflects Zou. “I know that people are always protesting outside Planned Parenthood in St. Louis, but that wouldn’t happen in China. To have the babies would be humiliating and shameful for the parents, the daughter, everyone.”

Although abortions are more controversial in the United States, many school districts are not teaching methods of contraception in classrooms.

The Utah Legislature passed a bill mandating abstinence only sex education on March 6, 2012. The bill bans instruction in sexual intercourse, homosexuality, contraceptive methods and sexual activity outside of marriage.

Texas also implements an Abstinence Centered Education Program (AEP), and according to the website, it will “delay initiation of sexual activity as part of a continuum of services to decrease the teen pregnancy rate and rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in youth ages 15 through 19.” As of 2012, Texas had the fourth highest teen birth rate of any state in United States.

Melissa Hobick, a health teacher at Clayton High School, feels that the best approach to sex education is being as realistic and open as possible.

“This is the kind of thing that affects every single person. At some point people are going to have sex, and I want to make sure they know who they can come to.”

Although Hobick acknowledges the awkwardness surrounding the subject, she hasn’t encountered any restricting parental resistance. “I’m a part of lots of parent groups and councils, and about 95 percent of parents say thank you for teaching them so that they don’t have to.”

Hobick proudly reports that in her nine years of teaching, only two students have opted out of the program for religious reasons. “I think we’re very fortunate. In other districts, they’re lucky if they get taught abstinence.”

Because of this good fortune, the thought of millions of humiliated and suffering women due to a lack of proper education can be hard to fathom. The task of coming up with a solution can be even more daunting.

Dr. Lewis Wall encourages understanding overarching ideas before setting out to find specific solutions. “By understanding local cultures better, one can be more effective in solving clinical problems. Ethics is really all about trying to figure out what the right thing to do is; it is about making you more sensitive to and aware of the issues involved.”

Wall encourages the empowerment of women as the key to the solutions.

“Advocate for women’s rights, support the education of women in countries around the world, and vote for candidates who will support women’s rights. The best way to look at it is simply to ask this question: ‘If I were a woman in this situation, how would I want to be treated.’”

For now, the circle of Nigerian women grows stronger as the beat of their anthem courses through their veins. Khushi and Anikta ask to leave class in order to dispose of their pads in the new incinerator; for them, school has become bearable. Teenage girls in Afghanistan are given midwifery training, learning to move past the deaths of their babies and to save the lives of many more. In these women, who completely acknowledge the burden of their suffering, hope is born. 

LOOP TRANSPORTATION The Delmar Loop is returning to the old ways to navigate city streets.

by CLAIRE LISKER Students from CHS often visit The Loop on weekends to eat, see concerts, socialize or shop. Little do they know that The Loop was not named after Fitz’s crispy onion rings, or the loopy fans at The Pageant.

The road of food and entertainment is named after the streetcar loop that transported teenagers, families and tourists through Delmar, around Delmar Garden Amusement Park and back to downtown St Louis at the turn of the 20th century. With the General Motors Street car conspiracy and the technological advancements of the century, the Peter-Witt streetcars were replaced by buses, the metro, and cars.

So why should the trolley be brought back

now? Since 1997, when the question of how to increase investment east of Skinker became prominent, Joe Edwards has been building consensus.

Owner of Blueberry Hill and The Pageant, as well as a contributor to the Moonrise Hotel and the Tivoli Theatre (not to mention an old Meramec Elementary student) Edwards not only wants to create another “fun place where people are happy,” but is a firm believer that the trolley will bring a financial benefit to the City of St. Louis.

The Loop Trolley will serve as a clean electric transit for the environment. Studies have guaranteed long-term savings from a fixed track

trolley system vs. rubber tire look-alikes. Additionally, trends indicate that because the trolley provides a fixed route, people will invest in the area.

But the benefits are not limited to the environment and the economy. The streetcar system will provide a vehicle for a preserved St. Louis history.

While on the exterior, the cars will look like the prototypes, such as the stationary one outside the history museum, they will incorporate modern technology like air conditioning, as well as wheelchair lifts, bike racks and other modern equipment. Additionally, volunteer citizens will be on the cars to share some history with the

FEATURES tourists and residents.

“I like to think of it as a ‘back to the future’ project,” Edwards said.

Although 97 percent of registered voters from the L-shaped quarter around The Loop voted in favor of the project, there are questions regarding the crime and traffic issues that may be encountered in The Loop.

According to Edwards, there’s no need to worry.

The streetcars will not gain their own lane, but will, rather, share the double lanes with the cars. They will only take one or two parking spots when they pull to the side at a stop, and will overall ease congestion.

Rather than bringing one’s car into The Loop and circulating in search of a parking spot, visitors can park anywhere along the route, and thanks to affordable daily, weekly and monthly passes, can get on and off at their convenience.

If the route expands in the future, many workers can combine the use of the trolley and the Metro to limit their car use.

The streetcars will not contribute to crime since they will both move slowly, at the aver-

age 15-20 mph speed of The Loop, and will only accept passengers with a ticket. Also, because they will attract many people, they will automatically be safer.

Edwards’ believes in the idea that “the more activity you have on a sidewalk, the safer it is.”

Although trolleys in other cities have not been problematic, cameras, such as the new ones in the area, could be added to the streetcars if need be.

Edwards is not the only one enthused with the project. The city of St. Louis, St. Louis coun-

ty, and University City have collaborated with the planning. Additionally, St. Louis was among the five cities out of 65 that received a $25 million grant for a trolley project, beating out cities such as Washington, D.C. Edwards believes St. Louis won because of the devotion to feasibility studies, route mapping, and maintenance planning that has taken place for years now. Regardless, according to Edwards, it is certainly a prideful success, “one of those rare times St. Louis should stand up and cheer.”

Although offical plans are yet to be finalized, the optimistic prediction is that building will start during the coming summer and will be completed the next.

When it’s finally complete, residents and visitors of all ages will be able to grab an ice cream cone and hop on the trolley cart with their family and friends, and enjoy all that the Delmar Loop has to offer.

“This should put St. Louis on a silver platter out there,” Edwards said. “This is a fun city, and it’s easy to navigate.” 

Top left and bottom right, photos of old Loop Trolley car. (William Wysession) Top center, map of the new proposed trolley route. (Courtsey of the Citizen for Modern Transit)

History of the Girl Scout C kie

By Jessica Pires-Jancose In the words of Sonia Beard, Cookie Chair and co-leader of the Clayton Girl Scout Troop, “the only reason people don’t buy Girl Scout cookies is because they weren’t asked.”

Each year, thousands of girls young and old venture out door-to-door or to their stations outside of Walmart, armed with an order form and a winning smile. Their success is undeniable.

If you’re looking for proof of this success, just turn your attention to the $700 million dollars in cookie sales that were made last year alone.

Clearly, plenty of people are asked whether they want to buy Girl Scout Cookies. CHS junior Carly Beard once heard of a Girl Scout selling 2,000 boxes of cookies in one year.

According to troop leader Lisa Avery, the revenue raised from cookie sales support troops, numerous camps and programs, scholarships and charities.

The whole business of selling these delicious cookies began in 1917 with an Oklahoma troop selling cookies in their school cafeteria in order to raise money.

Cookie sales did not begin on a wide-scale basis until 1922 when “The American Girl Magazine” featured an article by Chicago Girl Scout leader Florence E. Neil detailing a sugar cookie recipe for Girl Scouts and their mothers to follow.

Throughout the 20’s and 30’s these cookies were packaged in wax paper bags, sealed with a sticker and then sold door to door for about 30 cents per dozen. In 1936, the Girl Scout organization made the decision to hire their own commercial baker to mass-produce cookies that could be sold by Girl Scouts nation-wide. “The cookies sold for 25-35 cents a dozen,” Avery said.

By 1951, the line included three varieties of cookies: Shortbread, Peanut Butter

Sandwiches,and Thin Mints.

Today, Thin Mints account for a quarter of the 200 million boxes of Girl Scout cookies sold annually. According to Beard, last year, “Thin Mints outsold Oreos.”

Two bakers are currently licensed to produce eight different varieties of cookies, three of which are the originals from 1951.

However, these cookies have encountered their fair share of troubles over the years. During WWII in the 1940’s, cookie production was halted due to sugar, butter and flour shortages.

Girl Scouts switched to selling calendars during the War. More recently in January of 2012, the cookies were involved in a controversial boycott by a teen from California wishing to protest the admittance of a 7-year-old transgender child into a Colorado-based troop.

e s

e h

d s . g

a a

FEATURES

Girl Scout Cookie, circa 1922 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar plus additional amount for topping (optional) 2 eggs 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder Cream butter and the cup of sugar; add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt, and baking powder. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll dough, cut into trefoil shapes, and sprinkle sugar on top, if desired.

Bake in a quick oven (375°) for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Makes six- to seven-dozen cookies.

In a video posted on YouTube, the teen, who claimed to have been a Girl Scout herself for eight years, stated that “Girl Scouts describes itself as an all-girl experience. With that label, families trust that the girls will be in an environment that is not only nurturing and sensitive to girls’ needs, but also safe for girls.”

The Girl Scouts of Colorado released a

statement through the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), saying “If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.”

Given the strong push-back from the LGBT community and the immense popularity of Girl Scout Cookies, it is unlikely that the boycott made much of a dent in cookie sales.

Girl Scout cookies have even merited their own flavors of lip balm (Samoa, Thin Mint and Tagalong flavors).

From the printed newspaper to the blackand-white TV, many things in American society have come and gone over time. However, it would appear that these delicious cookies are here to stay. 

2011 Cookie Sales 23% Other Varieties (Lemon Chalet Cremes, Shout Outs!, Thankk U Berry Munch, Dulce de Leche, etc.)

25% Thin Mints

11% Peanut butter sandwich / Dosidos 9% Shortbread / Trefoils 19% Samoas / Caramel deLites

13% Peanut Butter Patties / Tagalongs Artwork by Audrey Palmer and Victoria Yi

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

By Peter Schmidt

Additional Reporting by Peter Baugh and Katherine Ren Photography by Noah Engel,William Wysession and Olivia MacDougal

B

Beyond all else, Meg Flach says she will miss the children. On Jan. 30th, Flach learned that her position as the Clayton High School District Substitute Coordinator would be eliminated.

With that, she said, her time at Clayton was likely over.

During the past two months, the Clayton School District has been abuzz with discussion of District spending reforms. For three years, the District has been spending more money than it has taken in, resulting in a massive deficit. On Jan. 9th, Superintendent Sharmon Wilkinson released a list of proposed budget cuts for the Board of Education (BOE) to approve. Her recommendations would eliminate $1.7 million from the District’s spending.

In light of these proposals, many members of the community have raised the question, “What makes Clayton, Clayton?” In other words, what aspects of the Clayton District raise its educational standards above and beyond the rest?

Wilkinson and the BOE were forced to walk a fine line between balancing the budget and preserving the assets that make Clayton schools first rate.

It remains to be seen whether these budget reductions fall in line with Wilkinson’s goal of maintaining excellence in education. However, the process has revealed one uncomfortable truth to the Clayton BOE and community: excellence comes at a high price.

Background

Although recent proposals may appear spontaneous to some members of the Clayton community, the Board of Education has been grappling with money issues since 2008. During that same school year, the voters approved Proposition S, a $51 million bond issue to renovate the high school and elementary schools.

The bond issue was approved by merely two votes.

“The District has been feeling this for a couple of years,” BOE president Jane Klamer said.

“When we went out to pass Prop S, it was right around the time that the economy was headed in a bad direction. The downturn contributed to the difficulties we had while campaigning.”

In January of 2010, the BOE unanimously passed Prop W, a new bond issue that allotted $39.4 million to renovate Wydown Middle School. At the time that the bond issue was passed, the District was not involved in deficit spending.

The School District of Clayton operates on two budgets: operating budgets and bond issue budgets. Operating budgets pay for nearly ev-

erything that keeps the District in motion: salaries, building repairs, supplies and purchased services. The majority of this budget comes from local taxes.

The bond issue budget is also tax based, but it is kept entirely separate from the operating budget. Because the Clayton community approved $51 million in Prop S, the District was able to renovate the high school and update classroom technology. However, every cent of the $51 million had to be allocated in a very specific way. In other words, the tax payer money that put a SMART Board in every classroom has nothing to do with District’s current deficit.

After 2008, the stagnant economy began to deteriorate several of the District’s sources of income. For instance, every January the District invests a percentage of its revenue and later collects interest on the investment. “At our high point in 06-07, we were getting a little over a million dollars a year in investment income.

We’re lucky to get around $30,000 a year now because [interest rates have decreased to] 5 percent. And we’re restricted by law in what we can invest in,” the District’s Chief Financial Officer, Mary Jo Gruber, said.

Although these returns illustrate the consequences of the economic downturn, they constitute only about 4 percent of the District’s income.

Another far more significant source of revenue is local taxes. During the 2012-2013 school year, local taxes contributed to 72.64 percent of the operating budget. Unlike the aforementioned factors, the amount of money that the District receives from local taxes is held relatively constant by Missouri’s Hancock Amendment.

“The Hancock Amendment ... forces us to basically keep our local tax revenue flat. We can take a little cost of living increase every other year, but barring having to go out and ask for a tax increase, our revenues are pretty much stagnant,” Chris Tennill, Clayton’s Chief Communications Officer, said.

Although the District’s operating income has decreased slightly since the approval of Prop W, Superintendent Dr. Sharmon Wilkinson believes that increased spending has affected the District much more dramatically. In 2011, the District negotiated a two-year, 2.5 percent salary increase for certified teachers.

Although this may appear to be a relatively low increase, the consequences dramatically impacted the District. Salaries and benefits account for nearly 80 percent of the District’s operating budget, meaning that a 2.5 percent salary bump has the potential to significantly raise District expenditures. Wilkinson pointed to this increase as one of the major contributors

to the District’s current deficit.

Gruber described the District’s current situation as expected for a school District’s typical spending pattern. “This is the typical cycle of a ... school district when you pass a levy, it’s meant to build up your fund balance and then you spend it down. Now we’re in the ‘spenddown’ part of the cycle, which is normal,” she said.

According to Gruber, 2003 was the last time the District passed a tax levy. After the levy, “our fund balances grew. The levy was projected to last for about three years. [However,] because of the new construction growth in that period, [the fund balance] grew higher than anticipated. So now we’re spending that down,” she said.

In other words, the ‘spend-down’ part of the cycle has lasted much longer than the District originally anticipated. Currently, the District is in its fourth school year of deficit spending.

Since 2008, a variety of factors have contributed to the School District of Clayton defecit spending. Some factors have been driven by the economy: decreased interest rates and lack of new construction in the city of Clayton have reduced the District’s income in comparison to previous years.

However, it is important to remember that the economy did not cause the deficit. It merely exacerbated issues that the District already needed to confront.

More significantly, however, the District’s spending has increased. Counter to common misconceptions, this increase has nothing to do with the SMART Boards in every classroom or the new science labs. Rather, the money has gone towards the sometimes overlooked resources that allow the District to fulfill its goal: educating the students. In particular, Wilkinson pointed to the recently negotiated District wide salary increases.

According to Klamer, the School District of Clayton was relatively insulated from the national issue of struggling school districts.

“We were in a pretty good financial situation when the economy went down and our real estate has not lost much value compared to other places, so this process has happened much more slowly,” she said.

Regardless, the deficit caught up with Clayton, and the BOE was forced to confront an uncomfortable and perplexing question: “How do we fix this deficit?”

Administrative Perspective When Wilkinson’s budget cut proposals were released on Jan. 9th, 2013, one thing be-

came evident: The Board of Education had not been idle.

According to Jane Klamer, the BOE has been investigating certain aspects of the District’s expenditures ever since the passage of Prop S. “We have cut administrative positions every year for the last couple of years,” she said.

Last year in particular, the BOE stepped up their efforts and implemented several new strategies to approach the deficit. One of these was the long-term financial planning committee, with whom Wilkinson worked very closely.

The planning committee consisted of a wide spectrum of Clayton community members. “We had parents representing each of our schools, we had teachers representing the varying grade levels and we had administrators,” Wilkinson said.

In the spring of 2012, the long term financial planning committee created a recommendation for $935,000 in cuts to be implemented in the 2012-13 school year.

The cuts included two administrators from the District office, a certified language teacher and a consumer science teacher. Wilkinson says that the teaching positions were eliminated due to low student enrollment in certain classes.

The BOE also reduced the number of paid contract days for certain teachers and reorganized summer school programs.

However, after making cuts last spring, the

(Right) Substitute Coordinator Meg Flach stands with some of her students in the Clayton High School Commons. Flach is one of the school staff members whose position will be eliminated for the coming school year.

(Noah Engel)

committee realized that the deficit still called for more budget proposals. Accordingly, Wilkinson undertook the responsibility of inspecting every aspect of the District’s spending patterns.

“It’s Dr. Wilkinson’s job as the superintendent to know the system better than anyone else,” Klamer said.

One of Wilkinson and the BOE’s primary strategies was to examine other school districts that were comparable to Clayton, such as Ladue, John Burroughs and schools as far as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

However, Wilkinson faced an uncomfortable predicament. As Tennill put it, “When you are looking at a budget that is 80 to 85 percent people, you can’t get to $2 million without impacting some people.”

Wilkinson’s previous position as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources only heightened her awareness of the recommendations’ impact on the District. “I can look at every recommendation and see a face and a name because I know the people of the District,” she said. “I knew that I would be impacting people.”

Wilkinson admitted that the students would inevitably feel the consequences of the District’s deficit, simply due to the strong interpersonal connections that she believes characterize the Clayton schools.

Of Wilkinson’s proposals, the BOE approved reducing the District’s spending by $1,638,753,

including restructuring the District’s health care benefit plan, cutting 4.7 full-time certified staff positions, 6.2 classified staffing positions, eight Truman State University intern positions and eliminating programs staffed by part time employees.

Out of all her proposals, Wilkinson says the one which provoked the most controversy was the restructuring of the elementary strings program. She also believes that her proposal was inaccurately portrayed to the Clayton community.

“My recommendation was that we look at a way to restructure the program,” she said. “It is still [important] to ... be able to provide this experience for our students.”

The BOE eventually postponed the decision on the strings program because they considered it more of an organizational than a financial issue.

In regards to the health care benefit plan, Wilkinson proposed that the District change the staff health care benefits from a “high option” plan to a “base option” plan, meaning that teachers would have to pay certain out of pocket expenses in major medical circumstances.

Throughout the research and proposal process, Wilkinson says that she kept one goal in mind. “It’s still important for us to preserve what makes Clayton, Clayton,” she said.

Community Perspective

When substitute coordinator Meg Flach learned that her job was on the list of proposed budget reductions, she was not altogether surprised.

“I always kind of knew that, if it was going to come to this, my position would be one that they would consider,” she said.

Flach’s job involves hiring and overseeing the training of substitute teachers at CHS and, in some cases, personally filling in for teachers in the classroom. She feels that the District’s high standards substitute program set the Clayton schools apart from other districts.

Regardless, Flach understands that the proposal process could not have been easy. “If it isn’t me it is somebody else,” she said.

Of all Wilkinson’s proposals, the elimination of Flach’s job incited some of the greatest student reaction. CHS students brought signs to Board meetings and even created a Facebook page to “Bring Back Flach.”

When Flach spoke about these reactions, she began to tear up.

“Having people say that it really brightens their day to know that I’m in their classroom or, even now people are seeing me in the hallways and giving me hugs ... It’s really wonderful. I care so much about these kiddos, and that’s going to be the hard part is leaving [them] behind,” she said.

Another issue that specifically alarmed many teachers was the health benefits reform. AP Environmental Science teacher and Missouri State Teachers Association Representative Chuck Collis believes that the proposal was unfair to the staff.

“I wish that the recommendation from Dr. Wilkinson had not included the $850 reduction in benefits across the board,” he said.

“If you’ve got a teacher who is early in their career and not making very much money yet, that $850 means an awful lot to that person.”

Collis also added that reducing staff health care benefits directly reduces staff retirement benefits. “I feel like it disproportionately hurts a lot of people who are in vulnerable positions,” he said.

In addition, Collis said that the teachers were not given much notice about the proposal. “It would have been nice, I suppose, to have a little bit more than a one day notice about the recommendation of benefit reduction,” he said. Besides that issue, however, Collis feels that the BOE communicated well with the Clayton staff.

CHS PTO Co-president and parent Evelyn Rice-Peebles believes that the school District will be fully capable of maintaining its standard of excellence. “The benefit cuts are certainly not desirable, but they are not crippling,” she said. “I believe that the Clayton District coverage of their staff is still above and beyond most other districts’.”

Although many members of the Clayton staff and community have questioned certain aspects of the budget proposals, RicePeebles believes that the District will find a way to compromise. “I think we all need to look at ways to work together as opposed to looking at ways to be separate,” she said. “We stand as one when it comes to our children and their education and that’s what matters the most.”

(Left page) top to bottom, Clayton School District Superintendent Dr. Sharmon Wilkinson (Olivia MacDougal), Clayton School District Chief Communications Officer Chris Tennill (Olivia MacDougal), Clayton School District Board of Education President Jane Klamer (Noah Engel). (Right page) The Clayton High School Globe entrance at night (William Wysession).

Looking Forward Despite the work and decision making within the past two months, the budget process is far from over. According to Tennill, the BOE has always viewed the deficit project as a two step process.

“The first step is permanent budget reductions and the second step is permanent revenue increases. What that’s going to involve is going to the community and asking them to consider an increase in taxes,” he said.

Although Tennill anticipates that the District will need to further investigate their resources, he thinks that “[a levy] is inevitable. It’s just a matter of one year, two years, three years, five years. It’s hard to tell,” he said.

Throughout the investigation process, Wilkinson and the BOE have expanded their understanding of what exactly makes our District function.

“As we do this work, we need to establish criteria that help us evaluate the decisions that we make and implement that criteria [in the future],” Wilkinson said. “This really needs to become a natural part of how we do our work. It needs to be the way we do business.”

In Conclusion “What makes Clayton, Clayton?” The answer to this question is as ambiguous as it is important. Although there may be no concrete response, the budget project itself has certainly

shed light on one of the District’s most important qualities: the strong interpersonal relationships that tie the community together.

Despite the coming changes in curriculum and organization, this human connection will continue to be the District’s greatest asset.

Meg Flach prefers to think of her exit from the District as if she were a student. “I understand why they have to do this and I understand all that stuff and I don’t have any hard feelings,” she said.

“But it’s just going to be really crushing when we graduate and I don’t come back next year.”

The elimination of Flach’s position at Clayton poignantly illustrates the consequences of balancing educational excellence with money: In the words of Dr. Wilkinson, “It impacts everybody.” 

Players to watch: John Howard Jake Brown Justin Gellman

>

baseball

2012 record: 18-6 Team goals: With many key players having left for college, the Greyhounds hope for a continued strong production from their core of younger players.

boys’ lacrosse

>

Players to watch: Gabe Remshardt Adam Luxon Jimmy O’Reilly 2012 record: 1-13

Team goals: In a new conference, the Greyhounds hope to adjust well, winning more games and continuing to improve from every angle of the game.

boys’ golf

SPORTS

Players to watch:

PREVIEW

by PETER BAUGH

>

SPRING

David Androphy Chris Cho Andrew Tankersley

2012 record: First place in Affton Scramble (best finish) Team goals: Every player on the team who competed made it to the sectional competition last season, and this year every golfer hopes to make it

boys’ tennis Players to watch: Mac Rechan Joey Dulle Sam Stern 2012 record: 12-0 regular season, second at state Team goals: After a very impressive season in 2012, the tennis team hopes to win the state tournament.

(Photos from Globe archives, Graphics by Audrey Palmer)

girls’ track

girls’ soccer

>

Players to watch:

>

Amelia Stubblefield Maggie Keil Alayna Hutchinson Lily Niswonger

Meg Sutter Christina Difelice Abby Rivard 2012 record: 7-6

Team goals: Adjust to a changing system and come together as a team both on and off the field.

boys’ track Players to watch: Matthew Garrett Andy Hodapp Brian Hodges 2012 record: One third place finish, one fourth, one fifth and one sixth.

Team goals: After a strong 3rd place showing in cross country, many of the same runners will return for track. The team has its eyes on a state title.

Players to watch:

2012 record: One first, second and third place finish.

Team goals: To place in the top two at the district tournament and to finish in the top four at state.

water polo Players to watch: Jack Layden Nico Salvaggione Roger Taylor 2012 record: 7-15 Team goals: The Clayton squad hopes to be led to a state birth, or at least get as close as possible to state.

girls’ lacrosse Players to watch: Marin Garavalia Maddie Mills Lily Kanefield 2012 record: 7-15 Team goals: To make it further in the district tournament and improve the record from last season.

31

PERFORMING SWIMMINGLY

CHS freshman has her eyes set on the Olympics

by PHOEBE YAO CHS freshman Lydia Welty wakes up at 4:30 AM because she has swimming practice from 5:30 AM to 6:45 AM everyday except Wednesdays and Sundays.

“I have my cereal before or my toast and then my mom drives me to practice and I swim there for over an hour,” Welty said. “Or if it’s a Tuesday morning or Friday morning I have dry land, so I lift weights, run and all that kind of stuff.”

After taking a shower at the pool she arrives at school at 7 AM and stays till 5 PM at which time her dad picks her up and drives her over to the pool again. “[Stress] is extremely high, I’ve had times where it feels like you’re going to break down, you just freak out,” Welty said.

When Lydia finally gets home at night after a two hour long practice which occurs every evening except for Saturdays and Sundays, she still has school work to finish and a viola to play.

“How do I balance it all? I don’t know,” Welty said. “You really have to do [your work], you can’t procrastinate. You have to do it when you have time. And I’m not perfect at that, I even have times when I just sit and watch TV but you just learn, you use every minute you have, and that’s pretty much it.”

Lydia’s not working hard for nothing. She has her sights set on swimming in the 2016 Summer Olympics. “[Swimming] has never been as important to me as it is now,” Welty said. “It used to be just something fun to do.”

When Welty was young, she enjoyed a va-

32

riety of other sports such as gymnastics and sailing. When she moved from Minnesota to St. Louis during her 4th grade year she joined the CSP, a private USA swimming club previously affiliated with Clayton Shaw Park. The club provides swimming for all levels of swimmers throughout St. Louis and it was there, during her 7th grade year that Welty became passionate about swimming.

“From then on I started going to practice,” Welty said , “I just started getting serious and I started really dedicating myself and when it began paying off, I started winning events, I started making it to top eight, making it to finals and when I started doing that I realized how much fun and how much I really liked to do it.”

By attending all 10 practices each week as well as participating in meets, Lydia has worked her way up the hierarchy of the CSP club team from beginner to elite, elite being kids over 13 who are Triple A qualifiers.

“It used to be, I could barely swim a stroke, and now it’s so weird to think that if you’d asked me if I thought that I’d be here going to junior nationals and to sectionals, making it to finals, if you told me a few years ago that I’d be making it there I’d be like, what’s sectionals? I’d have no idea. So it’s been crazy,” she said.

Recently, Welty went to Junior Nationals in Knoxville, Tennessee. She was one of only four swimmers on her team to go.

“And this is like a huge deal, I mean, junior nationals are the 18 and under, but these are like the best of the best. These are also really hard qualifying times in order to get there. I

swam as part of a relay and we ended up breaking our team record,” Welty said. “But I’m just proud that I made it there with my friends and I’m just proud that I’ve been able to fully commit myself to swimming.”

But Welty also owes a lot of her success to her swim coach, Dave McCrary.

“He’s a big part. You need a coach that you respect and that you want to do well for. I mean they pretty much, they hold your career in their hands,” Welty said. “Dave’s my ideal coach; he’s stern, he’s funny but he also pushes you and if you didn’t have someone pushing you, well, I’d just have myself and I’d just be so slow. He’s great and I couldn’t ask for a better coach.”

McCrary has definitely gained Welty’s respect, but what does her coach think of her hard work?

“Lydia’s been in our [elite] group for about a year now. She’s made terrific strides in terms of her swimming,” McCrary said. “To be short with it, I think she’s got tremendous potential as she continues to work hard and grow as an athlete.”

Of course, consideration must be paid to Welty’s youth and her later timing in entering the sport.

“I think she’s a little bit green, she came into the sport a little bit later. She’s learning how to train well as a swimmer, believe it or not that takes a little bit of work to figure out how to train and train at a high level,” McCrary said. “In my group she’s on the younger end, 13 is where we start so she started in the group when she was 13 and she only just turned 15 so she’s only been at it for about a year. But she’s very young

Lydia Welty swims butterfly. (Maggie Schedl) she’s got her whole career ahead of her.”

As much as Welty wants to take time to swim for CHS, she and her coach believe that the more relaxed regimen could deter her from achieving her goals.

“My coach, he’s seen swimmers who swim for the high school teams and then when its time to come back to our team after the three months their level, and their ability and stamina have been lowered,” Welty said.

“Because on the high school team it is not as intense, like the workouts aren’t as intense, and maybe not as focused as our club team.”

McCrary believes that choosing to swim Clayton is ultimately Lydia’s own decision and whether she wants to risk the chance to swim Olympics for the opportunity to better her school and community is a burden similar to what many athletes must carry.

“She is making choices to make herself better in the long run,” he said. “I think there are events that she’s good at that are unfortunately not a part of the high school program. That’s where she sees a little bit of an issue with training for college and Olympic trials and nationals and all these other huge events. I don’t think she makes the decision to not swim high school lightly, she’s thought about herself and what’s important and I know there’s parts of her, knowing Lydia, that wishes she could participate and could be a part of her high school because she loves being at Clayton High School and enjoys her friends. And she misses a part of that but that’s some of the decisions that athletes have

to make sometimes.”

Welty believes that her coach doesn’t recommend swimming for CHS because he is concerned with harming her ability to continue on improving.

“I have friends who are on CSP who do swim for CHS and they say that it’s just a great expe-

“I’m just proud that I made it there with my friends and I’m proud that I’ve been able to fully commit myself to swimming.”

Lydia Welty Swimmer

rience, that you get to become so close to your teammates,” Welty said. “That’s why I’d love to do that because I love swimming and sharing that with people at school and being a part

of another team would be so much fun, and I would really love to be a part of that and compete at state.”

But the future will always be open if Lydia decides to ever take on the blue and orange of CHS. “My goal is to be a collegiate swimmer, I want to swim in college but I hope that I’m able to stay on top of everything so that I can continue getting good grades,” Welty said. “I want to get a scholarship to a school so I can swim there and I want to be able to continue on, juggling everything.”

If forced to choose between academic success and swimming, Welty said, “I’d choose swimming. Of course academics are very important but swimming is my passion and I don’t want to do anything else. I mean I think it keeps me balanced, it keeps me whole, being able to do a bit of everything that I really like to do.”

Welty’s story is really one of modern success. Everyone who’s at the top started on the bottom, and just like Welty, we can all achieve our olympic dreams through passion, love of what we do, and a little bit of elbow grease.

“I think the sky’s the limit for her, you know?” McCrary said. “I think she can definitely qualify for the Olympic trials and I think she’ll definitely swim in college probably for a very good school. So I think the limit is going to be what she puts to herself. If she trains hard, and she has passion for the sport which she has right now, she’s going to grow and continue to improve.” 

33

MOVING UP

by PETER SCHMIDT with PETER BAUGH

Taylor after winning a match at the Clayton Center. (Patrick Butler)

ATHLETE PROFILE

ROGER TAYLOR by PETER BAUGH

Photo by Patrick Butler

W

hen Roger Taylor walked into the halls of CHS as a freshman, he appeared quite a bit different than he does now. He was smaller, heftier and did not look much like an athlete.

But, with hard work and dedication, Taylor, now a senior, has grown into an athletic specimen on pace to receive ten varsity letters.

Doug Verby, the head wrestling coach, feels that the growth Taylor has shown both mentally and physically is outstanding, and can set an example for younger students on putting in effort.

“He was just kind of a rollie pollie kid with a lot of baby fat, and he grew and he worked hard,” Verby said. “Basically you can take away his commitment to get in shape. You never know what your body is going to do in terms of growth.”

Taylor has wrestled for the varsity squad all four of his years at CHS, but was forced to fill in for heavier weight classes his first three years. As an underclassman, Taylor was often paired against more experienced wrestlers and, as a result, did not win many matches.

However, his junior year, his skills started to come together, and he began to beat tougher opponents.

“I feel a lot more pride in last year [than other years] because I was wrestling up weight and I won a lot of matches that I probably shouldn’t have,” Taylor said.

Taylor ended up winning over 30 matches his junior year, and barely missed qualifying for state.

Now, as a senior, Taylor had a standout season, but was forced to miss wrestling for a

month do to an ankle sprain, preventing him from wrestling for most of the district meet.

Aside from growing physically, Taylor has also emerged as a team leader, and was named co-captain of the wrestling team with fellow senior MJ Milbourn.

“As a freshman I did not expect him to be a captain, let alone a senior leader,” Verby said.

“He has really shown a good knack for telling the younger guys ‘Hey, stick with it. Keep pushing,’ telling a lot of his stories about how he didn’t have a lot of success his freshman and sophomore years.”

Sophomore wrestling standout Jaques Painter agrees that Taylor is a strong captain and considers him one of the strongest leaders on the team.

“He has played a great role as a leader of our team,” he said.

Verby feels that Taylor’s story is one that others can follow, and that the sport of wrestling has helped him along his way.

“I think Roger’s story shows you how far someone can come in four years with dedication and the toughness and the guts to go out for wrestling. It shows what wrestling can do,” Verby said. “It’s not completely responsible for it, but I think Roger is a perfect story of how wrestling has helped him come in as a boy and leave as a young man.”

Taylor agreed that wrestling has made him tougher, and strongly encourages students to engage in extracurricular activities.

“Clayton is such a great place,” Taylor said.

“If you can be a part of any club or anything here ... try and take part in it because it is really something special.” 

When Tyler Walker signed to play football with Lindenwood University at 1:07 on Feb. 6, the CHS senior attained the dream that he has been working towards for his entire high school career.

A four year varsity starter, Walker has been a presence both on and off the football field. Over the course of his high school career, Walker excelled at running back and safety. By the end of his senior season, Walker’s work had payed off, as he led the Greyhounds to a district title and was named to the All Metro first defense team.

Walker’s dream of playing football fully materialized when he first arrived at CHS. “After my freshman year ... I knew that I was going to be committed to football and that’s where my future led,” Walker said.

Assistant football coach Kurt Leopold praised Walker’s work ethic.

“Tyler has worked very hard so he deserves all the credit here.”

The crowd of teammates and friends who attended Walker’s signing serve as a testament to the relationships that the football program has created.

“I thought it was really exciting and I am happy for him and I wish him the best of luck,” senior Aaron Adams said.

Walker also noted that football has dramatically shaped his experience at CHS. “My friend section … is very diverse. Football has brought me across many different types of people,” he said.

Although Walker received offers from several colleges, he decided that Lindenwood University was the most appropriate choice.

“I knew they had a great football program. When I went there, they had a lot of unity, and that’s what I liked. [Also,] I was close to home, so I didn’t have to worry about transportation and getting back and forth.”

As he sat in the Greyhound Room at CHS surrounded by friends, family and coaches, Walker expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped him reach his ultimate goal, along with the importance of determination.

“School, working out, football,” he said, “It’s really paying off right about now.” 

Walker at his signing. (Peter Schmidt)

P

SPORTS

CHS BOYS’ OUT TO GOLF Golf coach Chris Moody has high hopes for this year’s varisty golf squad after strong performance last year.

T

by CHRIS SLECKMAN

his year the boys’ varsity golf team is looking to improve from their solid performance last year. The varsity team will have six of eight players returning from last season; and will be looking to best their winning record from the previous year.

“Based on what the other teams graduated and what we have coming back I think we should be top three in the conference,” varsity coach Chris Moody said.

Last year, the team finished fifth the district tournament and sent five players to sectionals. Unfortunately, only CHS graduate Will Rosenfeld was able to advance to the state tournament. He finished the two-round state tournament with an impressive +6, which gave him 12th place in the individual category.

This year the team is looking to send more than just one player to the state tournament.

Senior David Androphy, who has qualified for sectionals two years in a row, will lead the charge. This year Androphy will be looking to make it to the next level and qualify for the state tournament. Four other seniors (An-

drew Tankersley, Josh Becker, Adam Belsky and Chris Cho) will also be looking to qualify for the sectional and state tournaments.

The main question for this year’s team will be roster depth. After the six returning varsity players, who will step up?

“I think it is just going to be a question of depth, how far down our skills will go,” Moody said. “If we can get down to seven and eight being good solid golfers, then we are going to be pretty tough to beat in the conference.”

Last year, as a freshman, Isaac Fish had the chance to play in a few varsity matches and this year he will look to provide the varsity team with depth. Fish has been working hard over the offseason.

“I have been working on improving my approach shots, short game, and staying relaxed on the course,” Fish said. “All of these are essential for scoring low.”

Ultimately, Moody feels that this year’s team has a chance to be even more successful than last year, “I think the team has the opportunity to do some very special things in the conference, at the least.” 

What to watch? What to read? Where to eat? What to do?

REVIEW

ZERODARKTHIRTY

by ZACH BAYLY      “Zero Dark Thirty,” a riveting and humanized depiction of the mission to capture Osama bin Laden, is not just a great movie; it is one of the most significant films of our generation.

The film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, award winning director of “The Hurt Locker,” documents one of the most well-known manhunts in human history, while focusing on the unrenowned and brutally determined CIA agents carrying out their mission.

As the movie started, the lights dimmed, the auditorium became very still, and no one spoke. While the screen remained pitch black, 911 calls echoed throughout the theater. The voices belonged to the people trapped in the World Trade Centers on September 11, 2001.

After the poignant voices diminished, the film swept us away to 2003, and introduced us to Maya, played brilliantly by Jessica Chastain, a CIA agent who has known nothing but the pursuit of terrorists. Chastain portrays her charac-

ter perfectly, balancing the often transparent line between mental instability and fierce determination.

However, the introduction to Maya and fellow CIA field agents is intertwined with the most difficult and controversial aspect of the film: torture. Although the arduousness surrounding the subject is inevitable, Bigelow handled the pressure well. Some critics say that she portrayed an effectiveness to torture that is really nonexistent; however, in the movie, the information the agents extracted from tortured subjects rarely proved to be helpful. One would have to be slightly deluded to not recognize the use of torture during this time period, and despite critical backlash, I believe that Bigelow did not unfairly glorify torture. Instead, she depicted a dark practice in a calculated and realistic manner. Not to do so would have been dishonest.

Once I moved past the torture and harsh in-

terrogations, I began to connect with a mission that has not been given much human depth.

Maya endures the loss of friends in bombings that most Americans have only watched on CNN. She deals with the isolation and resistance involved with the pursuit of her main target, Abu Ahmed. Most importantly, we are shown the tears Maya sheds after realizing that after a life submerged in the revenge business, she doesn’t know where to go after it’s all over.

All deep thought and reflection aside, “Zero Dark Thirty” is a gripping spy thriller, and almost any action film junkie will enjoy every tense minute. However, I watched the 9/11 attacks on the news with my babysitter after preschool. I grew up in a decade bombarded by terrorist atrocities and in a nation dedicated to a war on terrorism. When a film like this comes along and adds humanity and depth to such an undisclosed chapter in history, there is no doubt that it will resonate with a generation. 

Nominated for Best motion picture of the year, “Zero Dark Thirty.” (Sony Pictures/MCT)

E

ELLIEGOULDING

by SIERRA HIERONYMUS

Ellie Goulding sings in a concert in California. (Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Ellie Goulding rocked The Pageant on January 30. The concert was sold out, the room was packed and fans were excited.

St. Lucia, aka Australian Jean-Philip Grobler, opened the show with the rest of his band. They played energetic and catchy songs like “September” and “All Eyes on You.” The hyped up audience danced and sang along to the music.

After St. Lucia’s set list was over, Ellie Goulding took the stage to shouts of “Ellie! Ellie!

Ellie!” She started with “Hal-

   

cyon,” and “Figure 8” from her recent “Halcyon” album. Goulding also played a few songs like “Salt Skin” and “Your Song” from her first album, “Lights.”

In between songs she made conversation with the audience.

“I used to sing this song in coffee houses back in Britain,” the 26-year-old singer-songwriter told the audience after they sang along to her song “Guns and Horses.” “And I sang to like, three people, and like two of them were with me. So it’s cool to hear so many people singing back to me.”

Goulding also played some of her more popular songs like “Anything Can Happen,” “Starry Eyed,” and “Figure 8.”

Although she ended the concert at 10:25, the audience called for an encore and Goulding obliged, singing “Need Your Love,” a recent single recorded with Calvin Harris. Finally, Goulding sang a slight remixed version of “Lights,” her best-known song.

Audience members sang along, danced, jumped, and cheered throughout the concert, and Goulding received some well-deserved praise. 

EDSHEERAN

by SOPHIE ALLEN

    

Ed Sheeran is not your normal pop star.

Sheeran is a 21 year old singer/songwriter from England. He has been touring his debut album, ‘+’, since it’s release in late 2011.

He stopped by St. Louis’ Pageant Night Club for a concert on February 3, 2013.

Sheeran had two openers, Irish singer Foy Vance, and Rizzle Kicks, a rapping pair from England. Despite the fact that everyone in the crowd had been waiting for hours for Sheeran to take the stage, we paid the amazing openers their due respect.

Finally, Sheeran took the stage. He opened with ‘Give Me Love’, one of his slower songs, but it warranted a response from the audience so loud I could feel it in my chest.

Something I didn’t expect I’d have to do that night was back-up sing, but Sheeran was all for getting us completely involved. He told us when he first took the stage that we were “no longer a crowd, but St. Louis’ Gospel Choir!” and proceeded to divide us down the middle of the room and give us singing warmups.

Every warm-up we did led to the in-

tro of one of his songs, at which time the singing would switch to cheering and then nearly-perfect silence as his voice filled the small venue.

Sheeran had two microphones on stage. One, he could sing into and play back the sound, so he could layer beats as we watched to create the backup for his next song. He could control the playback with pedals at his feet, and over the course of the song he’d add singing, beatboxing, and guitar chords to the playback.

Sheeran doesn’t fit the current stereotypes of male popstars. Despite that, he seems more real than the rest of the boys on the radio. His orange-red hair, tattoo sleeve, and honest lyrics help portray life as a young person looking to succeed much more than anyone in a snapback hat and low-waisted jeans.

He told us between songs at one point, “I find if you put a couple thousand people in a room together, all they want to do is smile and be happy.” His outlook on life is inspiring, and can be heard in his interviews and his lyrics.

Over a thousand fans, three hours of music, and one 21-year old English guy.

Would I go again? You don’t even have to ask. 

Ed Sheeran peforms at the Washington DC Jingle Ball concert at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia on Tuesday, December 11, 2012. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

37

AHAUNTEDHOUSE

by NEIL DOCHERTY

It seems that theaters are long overdue for a horror movie spoof, but “The Haunted House” fails to deliver the expected comedic results. With the movie settling too much for raunchiness rather than jokes and gags it lowers the standards for what a comedy should be. While there are funny parts, the obscenity overlays the whole film.

“The Haunted House” follows the story of Malcolm (Marlon Wayans) moving in with his girlfriend Kisha (Essence Atkins) to his large house in the suburbs.

  Unbeknownst to him at the time Malcolm’s girlfriend, Kisha, is being haunted by a demon.

The film is a spoof of the “Paranormal Activity” series and is filmed in the same fashion. The cameras being held by the characters or hidden in the ceiling.

As the days go by the hauntings get worse, but the movie puts a comedic spin onto the scary parts, making them more humorous than actually frightening. Despite their efforts, Malcolm and Kisha can’t get

rid of the demon themselves, so they enlist the help of a two filmmakers and a psychic.

The film gets a little more kick when Cedric the Entertainer shows up as an ex-con turned priest to help out the situation.

His presence and jokes provide a funny ending to the film.

So if you prefer lewd, crude, and rude humor rather than well thought out comedy then this is the movie for you. But remember, don’t bring the kids, they might never want to see another movie after watching this. 

Official Movie Poster. Public Domain.

SOULARD COFFEE GARDEN

by PETER BAUGH

  

I walked inside the Soulard Coffee Garden on a busy Sunday morning. Immediately, there was a man greeting us to give us a rough estimate of the wait before we could be seated.

The bustling atmosphere makes a person feel at home, but does get annoying after awhile. At times, it is hard to move without running into someone.

When we were seated after a tenminute wait, I chose to order a bagel sandwich consisting of eggs, cheese and a sausage patty. For a drink, I got a peanut butter-chocolate concoction.

The drink was served first. The first sip was heavenly. The cold, icy chocolate liquid was followed by a punch of delicious peanut butter. The beverage was gone within a matter of minutes.

Before our food came, it was apparent that the organization of the restau-

rant left something to be desired. The waitress forgot to mention that the shop was out of plain bagels and had to come back so that I could adjust my order.

When the food was served, my friend was informed that his omelet was prepared incorrectly and they needed more time to get it ready. There was an uncomfortable five-minute delay where only half of the table was served.

As for taste, the Soulard Coffee Garden is perfect. Every bite of my bagel sandwich was wonderful. The portion size was perfect: not too small, but not too big. The pricing was fair and the waitress was nice.

I would recommend stopping by if you are not in a rush, but be prepared for a few mistakes to accompany your high quality food. 

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R LEARNING FROM DISABILITIES PHOTO FROM PETER SHUMWAY

J

ust over 11 years ago, I remember hearing the news. My younger brother Elias was born; I was in a state of euphoria. I would no longer be the only younger sibling who would have to go to bed earlier, sit in the back seat of the car, and have many other distinct younger sibling disadvantages.

Eleven years later, Elias is more athletic, and will soon, if not already, be stronger, taller and faster than me. Like many other 11 year olds, he loves playing center for his basketball team, playing chess, reading, hiking, skiing, and numerous other activities.

Elias also has autism. When I first was told about autism, I was confused on its implications. I had lots of questions about what it would mean for him and me.

Although Elias was diagnosed eight years ago, I definitely know now that he has positively changed my life. Elias has showed me numer-

ous aspects about life: they are much more valuable than anything I could ever teach him.

Everyday Elias calls all my siblings on the phone numerous times to just to make sure that they are having a good day. Elias always focuses on the things that are the most imperative.

Elias has helped me realize that the most important things around me are my relationships with people—and not my relationship with my textbooks.

Autism is a spectrum in which there are many different categories.

Luckily, “I see a boat” was the first sentence that Elias uttered after several years of much anxiety. I have seen some families who work with their children for years, and the child is unable to utter many words.

Elias has turned into somebody who loves to talk to everybody. Yet he does not only talk with them, he turns strangers into friends. One dis-

tinct example that comes to memory is when we were walking around New York City. Although Elias had been talking to numerous people the entire day, Elias found an older man in the Wall Street area, who was alone.

Sure enough, Elias took it upon himself to be this person’s friend. He casually asked this man about his family, hobbies, and his reason in being in New York. The man was teary eyed as his wife had recently passed, but he sincerely thanked Elias for helping him brighten his day.

This was a clear lesson on Elias’ innate desire of friendship, and how it knows no bounds.

It is impossible to communicate all the important lessons that I have learned from my younger brother.

Although ironic, I will always look up to him as a role model and friend.

-PETER SHUMWAY

H

R

obbie Small, one of the first campers to ever attend Camp Independence, plays Call of Duty until 3:00 in the morning.

Camp Independence is an intensive sports treatment program which leads the campers, kids with cerebral palsy, in the direction of achieving an important overarching goal –becoming independent.

The camp is run through St. Louis Children’s Hospital and was founded

by Paul and Carol Hatfield. It is run by a small group of employees with the help of volunteers who are in high school and older.

Before I actually volunteered for the first time last summer, I worried that I might be in way over my head.

Being given the responsibility to help young people with cerebral palsy sounded difficult, and as if it were an all-around stressful job.

But within the first few minutes of the first day at Camp Independence, it was clear to me that my time there would be rewarding and

H

annah rides into dance class every Wednesday night in a chair decked out with Elvis stickers. She goes through the stretches, anxiously waiting to learn a new dance move and sing along to the latest Katy Perry song.

Hannah has been one of my dance partners for the past three years. She has cerebral palsy. She is 18 and naturally gets excited talking about boys, celebrities, and Elvis. She loves Elvis.

From my time volunteering in the dance class, I have learned an unbelievable amount. Dancing with Hannah and the other students has taught me patience, perseverance, and acceptance. But above all, my volunteer work has shown me how to have fun and stay positive in the face of difficulty.

The students in the dance class range from age 7 to age 18. There is also a range in the severity of their disabilities: some are in chairs, some have walkers, and others have leg

only change my personality for the better.

I will admit that for some reason, I assumed the campers would be so much different from me. I’m not sure why, but I naturally assumed that they were from an entirely different world, simply because they looked, sounded and acted in a slightly different manner. I now recognize how off base I was.

One of the most important things I learned while working at Camp Independence is that people with disabilities are just like everyone else.

One of the first friends I made was Robbie – a high school sophomore. He loves to play Madden and Call of Duty on his Xbox, and follows the Cardinals closely.

When my relationship with Robbie began to sprout, I realized that I was not his helper, trainer, leader or whatever you may call it – I was simply his friend.

In fact, all of the volunteers who came to help were nothing more

braces.

But every student wears a smile to class every day. They’re positivity fuels my excitement to come to class every week after a long day of school and sometimes play practice because I can’t wait to do the duck dance or bust out with the electric slide just to make their day.

Many times the children have been in physical therapy sessions all day, in and out of the hospital, understandably exhausted and overwhelmed by strange faces. I made it my goal when I got to the dance class to befriend every student. I grew to know each child’s favorite song, color, dance move, teacher—all of the other seemingly little things that are so important to children.

At the end of every class, we have “parachute time.” The children literally shriek with excitement when the volunteers unfold the giant parachute, and we all gather under the ballooned parachute and tell jokes.

than friends to the campers, providing them with advice, assisting them when needed and joking with them as they pleased.

Just because someone is different doesn’t mean that they are better or worse than you. This is a lesson I’ve been taught a number of times growing up, but I did not truly understand the meaning of it until I really started getting to know Robbie.

If there is one thing that you can learn from my experience, it is to wipe away the instinct that I used to have. That feeling that just because someone or something is foreign to you that it is in some way bad.

In fact, I challenge you to embrace whatever unique opportunity is to meet someone “different,” to step out of your comfort zone, for you just might make a good friend out of the experience.

-JEFFREY FRIEDMAN

Among countless dance moves and pop songs, parachute time is my favorite. I remember how excited I got in elementary school gym class when we played under the parachute, and I see the same exhilaration on the faces of the children in the class.

The space we create under the parachute echoes with laughter. It’s so rare to find such pure joy in the average day, especially with the physical and mental stress these children endure. But nevertheless, they giggle until they’re red.

My experience in the dance class is invaluable. Laughter has such a healing power and it comes so easily to children who are under such physical and mental stress. If they can find the fun moments in difficult situations, anyone can. 

-EUDORA OLSEN

STARBUCKS K

You make your way down an unfamiliar street and think of home.

Your first day in a new town, but all you can think of is the one you just left. It doesn’t take long to stumble upon a recognizable green logo that takes away a little of the uncertainty and fills you with the warmth of familiarity. You walk in and order your favorite drink. They call your name and you take your first sip, immediately reminded why you came in the first place.

Starbucks. It’s on the minds of millions of Americans each morning and remains in their minds to help them function the rest of the day. Some can’t live a day without it and others treat themselves on special occasions. But, no matter who you are you know the name, the logo, and lets be honest, the barista’s first name. With over 20,000 locations countrywide, how could you not?

The familiar coffee shop seems to be on almost every street corner, and no matter what state that street corner is in, the menu remains the same. Whether you just want a grande mild with room or would rather have tall white mocha with whip, you can get it just the way you like it. In a world of differing vanilla lattes and confusing titles, Starbucks is the one thing that always stays the same.

If the consistency isn’t enough to lure you in, the masterful combination of the cozy coffee shop feel with the mainstream convenience, makes it all too quick and easy to pass up. This is precisely what makes Starbucks great for both hunkering down and spending an afternoon reading or studying or going

through the drive-thru to grab a cup of joe on the way to work.

And if even that isn’t quick enough, Starbucks can be made in your own kitchen. With a variety of brews, syrups and even k-cups available, you can hit snooze for the sixth time and throw those covers over your head once more.

While Starbucks is infamously liberal, providing healthcare for even part time employees (which they call partners to maintain equality), they also find other ways to encourage people to work and buy for them. Their welcome and generosity even extends to those of us that don’t wear fedoras or read poetry in our free time.

Supporting local businesses and contributing to your local economy is understandably an easy way to give back to ones community, but think what would these local coffee shops be without Starbucks? Starbucks, the one thing that brought coffee shops back into fashion (other than Friends) and has built them into the cool, sometimes hipster, places they are today. Plus, without a little competition what will their prices rise to and for how long will quality reign over profit?

Starbucks isn’t just a warm cup of coffee, Starbucks is a culture. It represents America and unites people all over the world. Only there are we reminded of where we came from and all the work we have done to get to the place we are now. So, next time you’re deciding where to grab some java, remember who has been with you since your first sip.

- EMMA EHLL-WELPY

E E F F O C KALDI’S Don’t let the stylish interior and machine fool you— Kaldi’s Coffee has been at the frontier of coffeemaking since the seventeenth century. That is, the myth of Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder who first discovered coffee, appeared in writing in 1671; the rest is history.

Some time has passed since the days of herding goats and frolicking among coffee trees, but Kaldi’s still displays the same fervor for the art of coffee making. Each hand-crafted latte and cappuccino displays an artistic flourish, ranging from a simple heart to the more complicated and crowd-pleasing turtle, swirled into the foam by practiced hands. And oh, the foam. Kaldi’s has perfected the pinnacle topping to lattes: light and airy, yet abundant enough to build the necessary anticipation for the drink waiting below.

Don’t like foam? The baristas are more than willing to cater to your every whim. They’ll accept your order with a simple, “Sure, totally cool.” Ask for a nofoam triple tall vanilla latte with a sprinkle of cinnamon and you will not only receive exactly that, but it will also be handed to you with a smile.

The workers at Kaldi’s are some of the friendlist, quirkiest people around. Go ahead, befriend that guy with the crow-bar mustache wearing a Star Wars Tee—he might just give you a free latte and some cool song suggestions the next time you come in.

The family-feel is something you will only find at a local business like Kaldi’s. Next time you are at Starbucks, try cracking a joke with a worker—they will probably be “too busy” to laugh.

Speaking of that corporate monster we know as Starbucks, let’s compare the menu to that of Kaldi’s.

Every Kaldi’s Coffeehouse boasts a full kitchen with daily soup, salad, and sandwich specials. Starbucks is sans-kitchen. Kaldi’s has some of the best nachos around. Starbuck’s has bananas. The pastries at Kaldi’s are prepared daily in house. The Starbucks pastries, better characterized as high-fat-sometimesstale loaves, are manufactured in large factories and shipped in plastic.

When it comes to food options, there is no comparison. Kaldi’s food is healthy and delicious; such options as the quinioi salad and hummus plate are satis-

COMMENTARY

high-tech espresso

fying snacks that won’t break the calorie bank. For those of you who are looking for a sizeable meal, Kaldi’s caters to you too. The nachos, piled high with sour cream, beans, and cheese, and the grilled cheese with three types of cheese and tomato, are just two of the many heartier options.

But the real star of Kaldi’s is the coffee. Kaldi’s offers monthly specials of coffee from all around the world from fair-trade farmers. The coffee is always brewed fresh on the hour, and each cup is as strong and fully-flavored as the last. Consistency is key. My brother lives in Wahsington D.C. and cannot find better coffee than Kaldi’s, so he gets packages of the coffee beans shipped to his house every month—a true test of the excellence in coffee that Kaldi’s has achieved.

If you’re not a coffee person, Kaldi’s also has delicious smoothies made with real fruit. And if you want the caffeine, but prefer the coffee hidden in the form of a smoothie-like sweet drink, Kaldi’s also offers “Frozen Toddys.” Frozen Toddys are essentially milk shakes made with coffee. And yes, they are as good as they sound.

Kaldi’s is the obvious choice for students. The music selection, warm ambiance, and quiet corners usher in studiers from all over the area. The original Kaldi’s located on Demun even has “Study Nights,” when students can come in and enjoy 10% off any beverage and a buy-one-get-one-free coffee. This is also an advantage of being a smaller business: the ability to have unique benefits for the community.

Along with the Study Nights, Kaldi’s also offers punch cards for frequent customers. Once the card is filled, you get a free beverage of any size.

You can support a local business, eat delicious food, study for your next test, and drink the best coffee just by going to Kaldi’s. Kaldi’s Coffeehouse is the place to be; no need for that Starbucks guy.

-EUDORA OLSEN

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NEWSWEEK GOING DIGITAL Lance Armstrong adjusts his cycling helomet. (Montigny Philippe/Abaca Press/MCT)

ARMSTRONG DOPES Cancer survivor, inspirational cyclist, husband and father, Lance Armstrong has inspired millions of Americans for decades. His seven Tour de France medals signified the astronomical achievements for a man who overcame testicular cancer. Opening up charity foundations and publicizing the world-renown wristband “Livestrong,” Armstrong was considered invincible and symbolized America’s slogan – “never give up.” It was not until 2010 that Armstrong was driven back to Earth from his immortal status.

Floyd Landis, former teammate of Armstrong, accused Armstrong of doping in 2002 and 2003 after Landis was found guilty himself.

Although there were no records that showed Landis was correct, there is evidence that shows Armstrong bought a blood-testing machine back in 2002. After these initial allegations, a string of former teammates and cyclists have come out in defense of Landis and not Armstrong.

And now, finally, in 2013, Armstrong admitted to use of performance enhancing drugs with none other than Oprah Winfrey.

Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and may no longer be able to participate in professional cycling again. In addition, Nike, Anheuser Busch and Trek Bicycles cut ties with the former cyclist amidst the doping allegations. “Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling; he deserves to be forgotten,” Pat McQuaid, president of the Cycling Union, said. “Something like this must never happen again.”

Sports have seemingly become servants

under the influence of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) as many renowned players have admitted to their use. Recently, reports have resurfaced regarding Alex Rodriduez’s connections with PEDs at the start of his career and reports also claiming that all-pro linebacker Ray Lewis took drugs to decrease his time on the sidelines after an injury to his arm earlier this season.

The roots of the problem may never be fully understood or uncovered; however, one thing is certain, sports players have leaned on something other than just hard work and perseverance for a very long time; longer than anyone may expect. The culture of sports was masterfully hidden from the public for decades and it only seems fitting that there may be vast changes ahead concerning performance enhancing drugs. It’s only fair to those who are not cheating the system that we punish those who have cheated the system. What would players really give up to receive their temporary fame? Anything.

Lance Armstrong, once a revered cancer survivor, is now perceived as a “cheater.” Armstrong will forever be remembered for his inability to reveal the truth. But the uncovering of the shallow truths among these high profile athletes surely signal the changing nature of American culture outside of sports. Moral character and values are simply lower on many people’s priorities when compared to fame, money and success. Maybe, just maybe, Armstrong’s truth is just what we need to spark a change in the lives of Americans across the country. 

- CHRIS CHO

Getting the mail every Friday afternoon has become a ritual for me. Why? Because that’s when my weekly issues Newsweek and TIME arrive. With interesting news sections like TIME’s “10 questions” and Newsweek’s excellent commentary section, It’s hard to put down these wonderful magazines.

However, after the Dec. 2012 issue of Newsweek magazine, the publication decided to go online and end the printed version.

With the trend of ”going digital” I’m sure some people might like this change. However, I have to disagree.

The feeling of picking up a magazine and flipping through each page of it can never be replaced with electronic media. Even when you are flipping through the magazine on the ipad it’s not the same as having the real thing in hand.

Reading magazines, to most, is a causal thing, something you do as you enjoy a cup of morning coffee or fall asleep at night. The screen of the tablet is just not the same thing.

If other magazines follow Newsweek and decided to go fully online, then there will also be a huge financial impact. When magazines decide to stop the published version, the printing company will suffer as a result.

Newspapers and magazines, in my opinion, are supposed to provide reliable news to the general public, whether the people receiving them are financially challenged or not. And Newsweek has just created a major barrier to their information, people who do not have access to luxuries such as an iPad or the Internet with have to go without. With Newsweek making the shift, one of the greatest magazine news providers has denied access to the public.

Technology does not make the news better. As more and more magazines go online, we cannot forget the myriad benefits of the printed word. 

- STEVEN ZOU

COMMENTARY

Photo by William Wysession

STAFF ED

CRUNCH TIME In a society hampered by recession, school districts across the country are being confronted with the harsh necessity of budget cuts. In this, Clayton is no different. But from where should the cuts come?

On Jan. 9, Superintendent Sharmon Wilkinson proposed $1.7 million in budget cuts, ranging from the restructuring of the elementary school strings program to the elimination of 19 full time staff positions and interns.

The stated goal was to make these cuts “as far away from the students” as possible, by leaving classroom teachers and curriculum untouched.

But was this accomplished?

The cuts include student favorite Substitute Coordinator Meg Flach (as well as the equivalent positions at Wydown and in the elementary schools), the academic coordinator position and one part-time and four full-time office assistant positions throughout the District.

How are these cuts not close to the students?

Many students would be happy to share their emotions on the impending loss of these staff members. They would say that any loss whatsoever of a single CHS staff member is close to the students; the staff plays a crucial role at CHS and every single member is a valued member of our community.

Over the past few years, as the economy recessed, the District’s revenue decreased and its expenses increased, leading to our current predicament. Even as the economy has recovered, the deficit remains. This leaves two alternatives: raise taxes or cut spending.

But having obtained voter approval for Proposition S, a $51 million bond issue for building renovations, just four years ago, the District is hesitant to go back to voters for a vital tax increase. Instead, it has decided to focus on spending reductions, primarly by cutting staff posi-

tions.

Walking around the halls of CHS, it is not uncommon to find students bemoaning the loss of beloved staff members due to financial troubles, and questioning the SMART Boards which sit in classrooms uselessly gathering dust. What most don’t realize is that the elimination of SMART Boards or a reduction in the technology budget would not accomplish the savings needed.

A tax increase is one of the viable long term solutions to the District’s budget crisis, but because of the recent bond issue, its passage is questionable. However, District voters have historically approved requested tax increases in order to maintain excellence within the District.

Superintendent Sharmon Wilkinson and the Board of Education should take note: any removal of staff members is “close to the students”; and a tax levy is the only sustainable, long-term solution to the District’s budget crisis. 

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WHAT IS LOVE? The answer, according to the Clayton School District.

‘Love is when you care about someone emotionally and you would be willing to put their needs before your own.’

1. Christine Stricker, Yearbook advisor

‘Having feelings for someone you can’t explain.’

3. Molly Droege, 10th grader

Chocolate.

‘Saying “I love you.”’

2. Caitlin, age five, Family Center

7. Alex Maue, 10th grader

‘It’s a chemical reaction that comes from the mind.’

4. Pedro Santos, 10th grader

‘It’s either a song, or when you show a sacrifice for another person.’

6. Matthew Berrios, 10th grader

(Rick Nelson/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

‘Baby don’t hurt me.’

‘Something nice to give to people.’

5. Amiya, age five, Family Center

8. Jake Shepard, 10th grader

(Carline Jean/Sun Sentinel/MCT)

‘Giving hugs.’

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10. Teagan, age five, Family Center

‘Love is when the silence isn’t awkward.’

9. Olivia MacDougal, 11th grader